Task Force Update

Week of December 8, 2020

The Task Force (TF) met on December 8 for its regular bi-weekly meeting.

The draft Smith EDII Strategic Plan is being revised based on feedback from Task Force members. A consultation process will occur in January and February 2021 with the Smith community.
The job description for the new position of Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Smith is being finalized and will be posted before the end of December. The Director of EDI will report to the Dean, and will contribute to advancing principles and values of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization (EDII) at Smith, through education, training, and mentorship.
Dean Brouwer and Commerce Executive Director Lori Garnier met with Reform Smith student and alumni leaders Fatin Noor, Omar Baboolal and Ana Lopez to update them on Smith’s progress on EDII initiatives and to gather feedback. They will continue to meet monthly.

EDII Task Force Working Groups: The recommendations and action plans for each of the Working Groups are being finalized. They will be integrated into the EDII Strategic Plan.
Commerce Society:
- ComSoc published the first-ever Commerce Society Census, with hiring outcomes for the 2020-2021 school year. ComSoc’s Talent Strategy Team created the report to provide data, information and transparency regarding the student composition of the Society's executive teams. The report can be found here.
- On November 22, ComSoc Assembly (ComSoc's legislative body) passed transformational changes to its Human Resource Policy, including:
  - Mandated qualification matrices in all hiring to prevent bias;
  - Elimination of GPA requirement for any position;
  - Elimination of technical skill requirement for any position;
  - Mandated conflict of interest disclosure;
  - Mandatory confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements for all individuals involved in hiring;
  - Limiting any first year student to one position; and any student to one Co-chair position (or leadership equivalent)